How to Cook with Sugar Substitutes

Sugar substitutes tend to differ in consistency and texture from real sugar, which can affect the way that artificially sweetened recipes turn out.

Using a sugar substitute in place of a cup of sugar can shave 360 calories off of a traditional cake recipe. With results like this, it is no wonder that so many people are trying to work sugar substitutes into their baking routines. However, sugar substitutes frequently react to heat and liquids differently than sugar. In order to cook successfully with sugar substitutes you must know when to add them and which kind to use depending on the baking requirements. In this article, we will discuss how to cook with sugar substitutes.

Things You'll Need

• Aspartame-based sweetener
• Sucralose sweetener
• Acesulfame-k based sweetener
• Cake recipe that you have used before and like

Instructions

How to Cook With Sugar Substitutes

1. 

   Replace half the sugar in a recipe with the sweetener of your choice. This will help you decide if a substitute will work for a particular recipe. If the results are too heavy or do not brown, you may need to try a different substitute or use a little more sugar and a little less sweetener.

2. 

   Use aspartame (blue packets) or sucralose (yellow packets) for cold dishes like puddings, fruits and salads. High levels of heat cause these substitutes to break down, reducing sweetness and causing cakes and breads to collapse.

3. Add aspartame-based sweeteners just a few minutes before removing the dish from heat. This type of sweetener will develop a "bite" if left in hot liquids for too long. You should add it shortly before serving a dish. For example, if you wish to use it for sweet and sour chicken, add the sweetener while the dish is on the stove, then stir it in until it melts and serve immediately.

4. Use aspartame and sucralose sweeteners in equal measure with sugar. These sweeteners are roughly as sweet as real sugar, so if a recipe calls for a teaspoon of sugar you may substitute a teaspoon of either sweetener instead.

5. Use one packet of acesulfame-k based sweetener (the pink packets) for every two teaspoons of sugar. These sweeteners are slightly stronger than sugar and you will need less than the required amount of sugar to get the same degree of sweetness.